One thing that came to my attention while reading Stuck Rubber Baby is how real it seems. So much so that I just assumed it was an autobiography. Of course, I've been conditioned to think that with our past class readings. I mean, I really thought Alan Moore was the girl that became V at the end of V for Vendetta. No, I mean the autobiographical elements that were found in Blankets and portions of Potraits of Life. Toland is not Howard Cruse but I believe in everything that's happening. The logic of the novel all makes sense and the characters and anecdotes seem incredibly authentic. I think that adds to the power of the piece. The art is also really cool. Sometimes the characters seem a little caveman like, with thick necks, broad shoulders, and tight pants, but the style is very bold and eyecatching.
I'm only at Chapter 11 and it seems that this book, more than the others, is hard to judge without knowing the conclusion. Right now though, I'm really enjoying it.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Historical Comics
"Collier's work stands out like a beacon amidst other comics, entertaining and informing all at once." - EYE Magazine.
Boy Howdy are they right. I really like this style of comic and, not being a connoisseur on the subject, I've never read anything like this. It reads really well, it's aided by the visuals, and it seems like I'm learning something in a backwards kind of way.
I found the Grey Owl story totally fascinating. Not only the story of Grey Owl, but the stories within it the text that helped the narration. In the story, the reader is presented one primary narration... the narrator's skiing trek to Grey Owl's cabin. From the perspective of the traveler we are told many stories including:
1. The backstory as to how he ended up in the middle of a frozen lake under a moonless sky.
2. The story of his near-fatal experience in Temagami
3. The story of Grey Owl himself.
The layers make for a very engaging read. Each panel jumped back and forth through time and place but was still easily followed. It's fitting that Grey Owl, a great storyteller both in his writing and his own fictitious life, be the center of a story about telling stories.
This historical form made me think of some cool historical stuff that could benefit from a comic treatment. Mainly, the story of Beautiful Jim Key. He was this super smart horse that was a big world fair attraction around the end of the 19th century. He could supposedly spell and count and do all these wild things. The shown intelligence of this horse brought animal rights and other related issues out of the fringe and into mainstream thought. Maybe that'll be my mini-comic suggestion...maaaybe...
Boy Howdy are they right. I really like this style of comic and, not being a connoisseur on the subject, I've never read anything like this. It reads really well, it's aided by the visuals, and it seems like I'm learning something in a backwards kind of way.
I found the Grey Owl story totally fascinating. Not only the story of Grey Owl, but the stories within it the text that helped the narration. In the story, the reader is presented one primary narration... the narrator's skiing trek to Grey Owl's cabin. From the perspective of the traveler we are told many stories including:
1. The backstory as to how he ended up in the middle of a frozen lake under a moonless sky.
2. The story of his near-fatal experience in Temagami
3. The story of Grey Owl himself.
The layers make for a very engaging read. Each panel jumped back and forth through time and place but was still easily followed. It's fitting that Grey Owl, a great storyteller both in his writing and his own fictitious life, be the center of a story about telling stories.
This historical form made me think of some cool historical stuff that could benefit from a comic treatment. Mainly, the story of Beautiful Jim Key. He was this super smart horse that was a big world fair attraction around the end of the 19th century. He could supposedly spell and count and do all these wild things. The shown intelligence of this horse brought animal rights and other related issues out of the fringe and into mainstream thought. Maybe that'll be my mini-comic suggestion...maaaybe...
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